I extend a special welcome to everybody to this launch of our
general election campaign here in the constituency of
Cavan/Monaghan. I want to first of all acknowledge and thank all
the very many people who by their hard work and support over the
past five years have assisted this TD in what has been a very
challenging role as the sole representative of Sinn Fein in
Leinster House.

We made history in this constituency in 1997 when we won the
first Sinn Fein seat in Leinster House in decades. That same year
Sinn Fein won two seats in the Westminster Parliament when Martin
McGuinness in Mid-Ulster joined Gerry Adams in West Belfast. But,
as we said at the time, one TD and two MPs was only the beginning
of the story. Since then we have elected four MPs - two of whom,
Michelle Gildernew and Pat Doherty, are with us here tonight.

I believe that in this year 2002 we are going to match that
achievement in the 26 Counties and that we will have four TDs to
join our four MPs. That goal is achievable.

It has been an honour for me to represent Sinn Fein in Leinster
House for the past five years. It has been a great honour also to
represent the people of Counties Cavan and Monaghan. When I stood
for election in 1997 I pledged that I would work with my
colleagues to create a new opportunity for peace. The peace
process and the IRA cessation had broken down at that time and we
all faced a very onerous task to put the pieces together again.
But we did so and it was a source of pride to me and to our
organisation in this constituency and throughout the land that
our party again played the pivotal role in rebuilding the peace
process and leading on to the negotiations which produced the
Good Friday Agreement.

The Agreement was a step forward and represented real progress
towards equality and lasting peace for all who share this island.
Nonetheless from a republican point of view it is a flawed
Agreement and has caused genuine difficulties for many sincere
republicans. But our unity of purpose has sustained us through
this peace process as it has sustained us throughout our
struggle. I salute the republicans of Counties Cavan and Monaghan
whose unity, discipline and common purpose has seen us through
difficult days and successful days and will surely carry us to
even greater successes in the time ahead.

The retention of the Dáil seat here in Cavan/Monaghan and the
election of a team of Sinn Fein TDs in Leinster House will
provide a necessary boost to the peace process. As the only truly
national party, our increased electoral mandate in the 26
Counties and growing political strength on both sides of the
Border will help to ensure the full implementation of the Good
Friday Agreement, in particular the All-Ireland aspects. That
political strength will be the catalyst for further progressive
change on the basis of the equality agenda and it will bring us
closer to our ultimate goal of Irish unity and national
sovereignty.

It has been my privilege to work as Teachta Dála for the people
of Counties Cavan and Monaghan. The election of a Sinn Fein TD in
1997 put these counties on the political map. From my very first
day in the Dáil I have highlighted the damaging legacy and
continuing effects of Partition on this Border region and the
scandalous neglect of these counties by successive Dublin
governments. We have been starved of inward investment and
employment; we lack proper infrastructure; we have the lowest
level of participation in third-level education in the country.
That this is still the case after a decade of economic prosperity
and after five years of the current government is a scandal and a
disgrace to the Fianna Fáil party and their PD partners.

In my term as TD I have not just pointed up the failures of
successive governments with regard to this region. I have also
put forward constructive and workable solutions. I promised to
work with the people of County Cavan to press for increased
investment in the appalling non-national roads network in that
county. I fulfilled that promise and in my first year as TD I
produced a detailed report which played a key role in
successfully pressing the government for greatly increased
funding.

No party and no TD can rival Sinn Fein's record on the waste
management issue. As well as pointing up the inadequacy of
government plans we produced a comprehensive and detailed
regional alternative which rejects incineration and provides
solutions based on the unique needs of our regional economy. The
government's answer to that has been to remove all local
democratic input into waste management.

My absolute priority issue for this constituency is and will
continue to be our health services and especially services for
mothers and children. I have spared no effort as a TD, Health
Board member and County Councillor in defence of those services.

The disgraceful withdrawal of the Maternity Unit at Monaghan
General Hospital was a blow to the health infrastructure in this
entire region and I and my elected Sinn Fein colleagues fought
tooth and nail to defend that service and resist its withdrawal.
We have continued the battle as efforts are made to remove
further services from our hospital. I have devoted countless
hours of effort to the defence of the health services in this
region and to pressing for their development and expansion.

There has been speculation recently that a so-called hospital
candidate might enter the electoral race in this constituency.
Everyone has a right to put their name forward but make no
mistake - there is a hospital candidate in Cavan/Monaghan and it
is Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin. No-one has worked harder on this issue
and I will be seeking my mandate from the people on that basis -
a mandate that is required if I and this party are to carry on
the fight at every level.

I am also seeking a renewal of my mandate to campaign for greatly
improved infrastructure and employment in this region. We are
still a neglected region in terms of road development, lack of
telecommunications such as links to the broadband network, lack
of public transport and a total absence of major inward
investment. It is quite disgraceful that we have had no major
industry located here during the term of this government.

This re-election launch signals our determination in Sinn Fein to
not only retain this seat but to increase our mandate. I am
seeking an endorsement for almost five years of work on behalf of
the people of Counties Cavan and Monaghan, both individually and
collectively. At all times I and the Sinn Fein elected team have
acted responsibly in the interests of our constituents.

This will be a very exciting election for Sinn Fein. I believe
that the rise of Sinn Fein will be the main talking point of the
general election.

Our political opponents and certain sections of the media have
sensed the danger to their cosy positions. They have reverted to
the days of demonisation and vilification of republicans in order
to thwart our progress and scare the public from supporting our
candidates. Let them rant and rave. Let the O'Reilly newspapers
print their lies and slanders. We will stand on our record of
tireless work and on our progressive republican policies and the
people will give their answer.

The people will give their answer as they gave it with my
election in 1997, as they gave their answer with the achievement
of 23 seats for Sinn Fein in the local elections in Counties
Cavan and Monaghan in 1999, as they gave their answer last year
with the defeat of the Nice referendum. And when this
long-awaited election is finally called the people will give
their answer again and they will endorse Sinn Fein and this TD.

I have no doubt but that we are going to send a strong team of
TDs through the gates of Leinster House after the general
election. We will make an impact there as never before.

The only growing force and the only All-Ireland party in Irish
politics is Sinn Fein. It is vital for the people of
Cavan/Monaghan to be represented on that new team, a republican
team that is set to shake the cobwebs out of Leinster House.

We have an enormous amount of work ahead of us. We need everyone
to lend a hand in this election campaign and beyond. Because,
make no mistake, there is no limit to our aspirations. We intend
to retain this seat, the first time since the 1920s that our
party in this State has done so, and we intend to move on in the
following general election to take two seats in Cavan/Monaghan.

We in this constituency have never allowed our expectations to be
lowered and we never will. We are working for the very best for
the people of this region. Together we will go forward to an
Ireland of Equals, to our goal of lasting peace with justice,
Irish unity and freedom for all the Irish people.